Everything You Need to Know About Lightening Your Eyebrows With Bleach

While there are certain Instagram eyebrow trends from the last few years that some of us hope to never see again, there’s one that’s stuck around for a while, which, quite frankly, we're not mad at. We're talking about bold, dark brows that take on a lighter look with the help of eyebrow lightening, a method of tinting that involves bleaching them to a softer shade.

It’s the perfect solution if you’ve decided to brighten your hair from brown to blonde and want your brows to match, or if you’re looking to soften your features. Lighter brows have been popping up on runways and red carpets for a hot minute (Kim Kardashian, Kylie Jenner, and Rita Ora have all tested the trend for themselves), and translate easily into something that’s wearable in real life. "What we’re talking about is a natural, everyday look, more than a runway or editorial massively bleached-out eyebrow,” says brow and skin-care expert Robin Evans.

Rosdiana Ciaravolo

Brow bleaching vs. brow lightening

While they may sound similar, there are a few subtle differences between bleaching your brows (a practice that's been around forever) and lightening them. "Eyebrow bleaching is taking the color completely out of the eyebrows, whereas eyebrow lightening lifts the color a few shades lighter than your original brow color," says makeup artist Samantha Lau. "Eyebrow bleaching can be quite harsh in general, but it gives a stronger, often more editorial look. It is a statement look. Eyebrow lightening is great for someone who wants a slight change to their appearance."

Hairstylist Rachel Bodt, who bleaches brows in her salon, explains that bleaching can create a more intense look, while lightening is a less harsh way to change things up. "When you lighten your brows with color, you are looking to just soften them or take the edge off," she says. "When you bleach them, it’s very impactful and more of a statement."

How does it work?

So now that you understand the difference between bleaching and lightening, it's important to know how the process itself works. "Bleaching breaks the bonds of the pigment, causing them to decompose," explains cosmetic chemist Ni'Kita Wilson. In practice, lightening your brows is similar. It starts with a bleaching tint, which can be left on for different amounts of time to achieve different levels of brightness.

Then it’s a matter of tweaking the color to ensure you get exactly the hue you’re looking for. "I might lighten and just be like, 'This came out perfect,' or I might want to add a light or reddish brown — which is browner but a little more fawny — after I lighten it. But I don't know until then if I want to add color back into it,” says Evans, who agrees that the process is a lot like lightening the hair on your head: "If you really want to change your hair color, they’re using bleach [first], and then [putting] something over it to warm it up or tone it down, depending on how it comes out.”

Who can bleach their brows?

Short answer: most people. "It can go across the board,” says Evans. "For somebody who’s really blonde and platinum, I can give them a nice, fawny golden-brown to complement the hair color, or for somebody who’s darker, going half a shade lighter softens the features.” That said, Evans is fussy about who she’ll do the service on, because some natural brow shades turn orange when they’re bleached.

"A lot of places use bleaching agents that make brow hairs turn brassy, so you have to be careful,” she says. "If [a client's hair is] dark, to avoid any brassiness I only leave the bleach on for a little bit to lighten the hairs down a level or so. I leave it on longer when I know the color won't come out brassy — typically for brows that are a medium or lighter shade of brown. [I keep the bleach on for even] longer if I want to put a tint over what I’ve already lightened to achieve another shade."

Advertisement

Bodt seconds the notion that anyone with dark eyebrows may want to proceed with caution because the process could turn them orange, and adds that she doesn't recommend lightening for anyone with sensitive skin.

Rosdiana Ciaravolo

Choosing the right color

In order to decide on the perfect color, Evans starts by looking at the tone of the hair. “Brows tend to look better about the same color or a shade or two darker for the average light brown, medium brown, or dark-brown-[haired] person,” she says. “But for blondes, it can go either way. I have a lot of blonde clients whose brows I will darken so they have that modern contrast. Then there other people who want their brows and their hair to match a little bit closer, to look like they’re naturally blonde.” She loves lightening treatments on women with “mousy brown” hair but notes that such treatments may not be the best solution for natural redheads.

How brow lightening changes your face

As anyone who’s ever been subject to a tweezing disaster is likely well aware, changing up your brows even slightly can totally alter the appearance of your face. "I find that lightening brows can brighten the face up, if done with the right ingredients and methods," says Lau. "For example, if you changed your hair color and your original brows are too dark, lifting your brow color two to three shades lighter can balance your new hair color." Evans notes that lightening can also make your skin tone appear softer. "A much darker brow is stronger and edgier — a lighter brow is softer; the color is lighter.” Think of it this way: A darker brow shows up bolder on your face, adding intensity against your skin tone, while a softer color brings the focus and heaviness away from your brows and gives an overall lighter look.

Sure, a lightened brow can change your look, but it also opens up an entirely new world of makeup options. "[It] gives you more room to play up your eyes or lips," says Lau. "If your brows are lighter than before and you do a smokier eye or winged eyeliner, you’ll see the eye makeup more. For someone who doesn’t wear a lot of eye makeup, you can do a bold lip so it really stands out." Personally, Lau loves the contrast of lightened brows and lots of mascara, à la Twiggy, which gives you the appearance of big, wide eyes.

Don't try this at home.

While we’re all for tweezing and tinting at home, lightening is a brow service that’s best left to the professionals — otherwise, you run the risk of turning your brows a brassy orange shade or accidentally singeing them off with bleach. But if you want to see what you would look like with lighter brows, Evans suggests trying a little bit of makeup first: "The one thing I would say for at home and wanting to lighten up your brows a little bit [is to use] different brow gels — there’s such a wide range of colors.” She’s a fan of Benefit 3D Browtones Instant Color Eyebrow Highlights (she loves the color magenta to spice up a holiday makeup look,) and NYX Holographic Halo Eye Tint for giving darker brows a temporary hint of lightness.

The risks

Aside from the risk of bleaching off your eyebrows if you decide to do it at home (so, don't), there are a few other important things to keep in mind when it comes to lightening. "Ingredients used to bleach the hair [that include] high concentrations of hydrogen peroxide can cause serious burns," says New York City–based dermatologist Michelle Henry, pointing to studies that say over 50 percent of women who bleach their eyebrows notice local side effects such as redness, scaling, or itching. "If the solution is too strong, brows and hair can be damaged. Significant burns can also cause permanent hair loss. Even when done appropriately, the process can dry and damage the hair, making it more prone to breakage."

Advertisement

Wilson echoes these sentiments, noting that "any time you are dealing with chemicals like that around the eyes it poses a concern. Hydrogen peroxide is a strong oxidizing agent that will not discriminate between your hair, clothing, or your cornea." So, once again — if you're going to lighten your brows, leave it to the professionals, OK?